Why drive all over the place when you can just browse myriads of homes for sale from your computer? Virtual home tours are increasingly gaining in popularity with home buyers. Too bad, not many real estate agents' web sites have them. Consumers want to SEE and know the details before they make their buying decision. "Seventy-eight percent of those who shop for homes on the Internet say the most important feature when searching online is photos -- followed closely by detailed property descriptions and virtual tours, according to the 2003 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers." (Broderick Perkins, Realty Times)

Web site such as Mouse House Tours offers home seller a free web site listings where they can upload detailed pictures of their homes. Realtors are also using Mouse House services to advertise their listings. Jim Reuning, a representative from Mouse House Tour, said the site has seen an increase in free registration for virtual home tours. Real estate agents are also sending positive feedbacks that by investing their time in adding home information and pictures at MHT, they are seeing an improvement in home inquiries.

Mr. Reuning also showed me a sample web sites from savvy agent who is putting in time to add listings in Mouse House Tour and integrate the listings into his existing site. Part of the success of this strategy is the uniqueness of the site design as well as personal message from the site owner. Mark Mashal of Scottsdale & Phoenix Real Estate is one hard-working agent who has seen great results from virtual home tours. I visited his web site and found it to be very welcoming and informative. Virtual home tour is a powerful marketing tool that many real estate web sites have not really mastered. Looking at Mark's site, I can see why he's been quite successful at marketing to internet audience.

An abstract from an article by B. Perkins from Realty Times:

Virtual tours aren't just a cool gimmick real estate agents use to show off their technological prowess.

Consumers demand them.

Seventy-eight percent of those who shop for homes on the Internet say the most important feature when searching online is photos -- followed closely by detailed property descriptions and virtual tours, according to the 2003 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.

What's more, those who demand virtual tours are more likely to be smarter, wealthier consumers in their prime home-buying years, compared to those who don't take tours. On a typical day, 2 million people are using the Internet to go on a virtual tour, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

The survey said those who take tours were more often single, white, women, aged 28 to 49, earning $50,000 a year or more, graduate degree holders and broadband access subscribers.

Home buyers like virtual home tours because they provide them with an immediate and efficient way to view and eliminate the homes they don't like and choose the homes they want to go see in person. For sellers it can mean less foot traffic, but just as many, if not more eyeballs on their home for sale.

Complete Story

This post was posted on May 25, 2005 in the following sections: Articles. There is currently 1 comment.

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